1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automotive vehicle security and, more particularly, to the preventing of the theft of automotive vehicles particularly of the type having a shifting lever mounted on the steering column below the steering wheel.
2. The Prior Art
Most automobiles today have a steering wheel on a steering column and positioned at the right of the steering column below the steering wheel is an ignition lock. Below the ignition lock there is a shift bowl through which a shift lever extends. The shift lever and the shift bowl turn together. The shift lever typically places the car in either a park, reverse, neutral or drive position. The gear lever has limited movement about the steering column from the park position to the lower drive position. The various positions are controlled by a "gate". The ignition lock is intended to prevent burglary, however, they can be forceably detached from the steering column in such a way as to expose ignition terminals and to permit unauthorized starting of the vehicle engine. Once the vehicle engine is started in a typical car, the shift lever can be moved to reverse or to one of the drive positions and can be stolen.
Various attempts have been made to prevent the theft of automobiles. Many of these are directed toward preventing entry into the ignition lock or to prevent tampering with the ignition lock on the automobile steering column and many includes a collar and a cap or the like. These are concerned with preventing the starting of the automobile.
In many cars the components surrounding the steering column are made of plastic or an aluminum alloy which are easily broken away. A thief can, by using an ordinary screw driver, tear away the shift bowl or mask jacket around the steering column and readily ignite the engine.